Chapter 76 Part 3:

When others saw, they would only say that she was kind hearted and generous, having good morality and conduct on top of her talents. Being aggressive always appeared too calculative. Saying a sentence was not a ha.s.sle, it also wouldn’t change the conclusion. So why not?

In her previous life, she didn’t pay too much attention to reputation, thus letting people use her reputation as a blade. Now she wanted to become well-known. It would be much simpler while wearing a mask to handle things.

“This time Miss got first place; one heard that the person who gets first place will enter the palace and receive an award from the emperor in person.” Tong’er thought of something, “Miss should soon be entering the palace and face the emperor? This is the emperor’s reward, a supreme honor. In the future, no one would dare to bully Miss anymore.”

Jiang Li’s smile disappeared. She recalled the first time she saw Hong Xiao Emperor, it was after Shen Yurong became the top scorer. At a night feast in the palace, she went together as Shen Yurong’s wife. Countless people envied her as the madam of the new top scorer. After all, Shen Yurong was outstanding and elegant with boundless prospects. At that time, Princess Yongning still drank a cup of wine together with her.

She lowered her sight, perhaps at that time, Princess Yongning had already looked upon Shen Yurong and started to have ideas about him. Treating her as a stumbling block, however, she was still foolishly unaware.

Entering the place now, she’s bound to see Princess Yongning. If it was a palace feast, perhaps Shen Yurong would also be there. But this time around, she would no longer be Madam Shen, but the Jiang family’s daughter.

Who’s going to deal with whom?

Again, she’s one step closer to the two people.

……

Inside a courtyard not too far away from the Imperial College, the lanterns were lit up inside the room as it was night time.

Ye Shijie sat in front of a table, writing a letter.

He placed first in the Imperial College’s examination and in a few days going to enter the palace to receive a reward from the emperor. Soon after, he would be able to become an official. He should inform this good news to the Ye family in Xiangyang.

He had already written everything about himself with a few brief sentences. The remaining, Ye Shijie lifted his brush and hesitated.

Jiang Li also got first place in Ming Yi Hall’s examination.

Ye Shijie didn’t know whether he should also write about Jiang Li. For many years, not a single person in the Ye family had ever mentioned Jiang Li’s name. Many years ago, Jiang second miss’s words had thoroughly chilled the hearts of the people in the Ye family and even made old madam Ye seriously ill. From then onwards, the Ye family acted as if there wasn’t any relation with this young lady; including Ye Zhen Zhen, no one dared to mention her name.

In this sort of situation, suddenly mentioning Jiang Li’s recent development should be very abrupt. Ye Shijie planned not to write, but as he was about to put his brush down, he recalled the words Jiang Li had spoken to him.

“I was young then, maternal grandmother was also far away in Xiangyang. Mother had left early, father was busy with government affairs, many things were looked after by stepmother. Whatever I said might have been taught by someone. Perhaps, someone had even threatened me to say these words.”

Jiang Li said that the Ye family was a merchant and wanted to sever the relationship with the Ye family. Was it possible that someone truly incited from behind? So as to make Jiang Li and the Ye family separated and have no more contact.

Ye Shijie discovered that he had already involuntarily inclined to believe in Jiang Li. In fact, he had not met Jiang Li many times; he even only exchanged words with her twice. With the causes from both sides, how could he have such trust in her?

Ye Shijie felt somewhat unfathomable.

But he also felt that Jiang Li was incredible. In her current circ.u.mstances where she was neglected in the Jiang residence, she had forcibly let the entire people in Yanjing to remember her name. Not only that, this name wasn’t a bad name. The name made people think that the Jiang second miss was pretty talented.

This was the female who topped all six subjects in MingYi Hall, without any exception.

He lifted the brush, then put it down again, lifted it, then put it down again; this happened several times. Just as Ye Shijie was about to lose his patience, his personal servant boy, Yuan Bao, came in.

Yuan Bao took out a letter from his bosom and spoke joyfully: “Eldest young master, a letter came from Xiangyang.”

“There’s a letter?” Ye Shijie was stunned: “It’s not yet the time for the letter to arrive.” He corresponded with the Ye family through letters every half a month and it usually took a month to arrive. This was usually not the time for the letter to arrive yet.

“It should be Madam and the others who remember eldest young master’s examination time,” Yuan Bao said complacently: “If old madam knew that eldest young master got first place, she would most definitely arrange a huge banquet for three days and three nights in Xiangyang.”

Ye Shijie didn’t pay attention to him, opened the letter personally and read the content rapidly.